Jazz for aficionados

For those who may be critical of "old" recordings and their technical approach, have you ever wondered why in particular the earlier Blue Note LPs command so much among used records?  You might answer "it's the artists", but many of those were reissued so are available in both newer analog or digital format.  

Just a quick review identifies one thing fans look for is engineering by Rudy Van Gelder.  RVG in the runout is gold!  The Contemporary issues engineered by Roy DuNann are similarly sought after.  These examples relate to miking (minimal) and general recording techniques.  Then there are preferences for tubed recording components verses solid state, and analog masters versus digital.  Also the quality of vinyl utilized during the '50s and '60s was superior to what was available after the oil embargo in the very early '70s, after which "recycled" vinyl was utilized, even by major labels.

Now admittedly many early stereo recordings were guilty of "a hole in the middle" of the soundstage, the result of panning emphasis to the left and right channels to highlight the stereo effect.  But a mono or blend control on your preamp could minimize that.

Other than the above factors, more "modern" recordings tend to mic individual musicians and often "isolate" them with sound panels in the studio.  A worse case is when other musicians are added from new tracks recorded at another place and even time.  What sort of musical cohesion can result from that?  The net result becomes a function of the mixing engineer, not the musicians themselves.

For myself, there are only two issues with older recordings, and I'm talking about those from the '50s and '60s, not earlier.  One is condition of an individual record - was it handled properly and not played excessively?  The other can be cost - just look at asking prices for some of those RVG Blue Note, particularly the earlier "deep groove" versions. 

You may not agree, but at least understand why some of us are not all that excited about "new" recording techniques.

pryso, I do agree; completely.  I think that we are often seduced by the “ear-candy” quality of “perfectionist” recordings to the extent that we overlook or forget a basic truth:  less is more when it comes to the recording of music.  Of course, there are exceptions to this, but the inescapable fact is that the more processing and “stuff” that is used during the recording process the more that is lost of the music in a very fundamental way that is very difficult to put into words; it’s about the human element in music making.  For me, that is the reason that there is something very truthful about those old recordings.  The path from the musicians’ instrument to the recording device is very direct.  That is also the reason that so many feel (myself included) that a good analog recording still beats the pants off a good digital one.  Additionally, “old school” engineers like RVG and some before him relied on their ears much more than engineers today and they prioritized the preservation of the sound as the musician made it and not as they thought it should be.  

Your clip of the Louis Armstrong concert is a good example of this.  First, I thought the playing was fantastic all the way around.  Louis was Louis; great as always.  Barney Bigard sounded awesome and it was a good reminder for me of just how great he was.  It was interesting hearing Louis sing without as much gravel in his voice as he did in later years.  Overall, I thought the clip was a gem.  Sound wise I thought it served the music extremely well and it is little details like the horns playing background figures without their own mics, but simply being picked up by the soloist’s mic and sounding appropriately “in the background” that give recordings like that a sense of honesty that I love.  When an overzealous engineer starts sticking mics in front of every horn and messing with balances is when the music gets screwed up.  Thanks for a great clip.

Thanks, mary_jo also for a great clip.  One of the classic pairings in jazz Ella and Louis.  Perfection; like really tart raspberry sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream.

**** You can't play anything on a horn that Louis hasn't played" ****

Well, a bit of hyperbole to be sure, but in a way goes to the issue of “truth” in music and is an expression of the kind of respect  that players have for his musicianship.  Obviously, Louis’ style, by definition, means that, in spite of the fact that he was a really great trumpet player, there was a lot done on the trumpet in later years that he never did.  However, what musicians mean when they say that is that as far as core musical considerations like incredibly “in the pocket” sense of rhythm and ability to manipulate it and his way of “telling a story” with music no one has done it better. 
Amazing and important musician.

Alex, you named the problem, "It lacked excitement". "Snowing on my Piano" is the only cut I liked; that's because I once lived at the end of a street with a wide "park like" island in the middle, and across from that was a grey stone church with high steeples. In the winter when it was snowing, this made a beautiful picture, that I would spend time gazing at out of my apartment window.

That was a very long time ago, but when "snowing" is in the title, I revert back to gazing out of that window. Evidently "Snowing on My Piano" projected snowing scenes.



I think that's been done; some of the CD's in my collection of the best jazz hits of the 50's sound better than my records, they are cleaner, and have more dynamic range, I don't recall the space.

Pryso, will be short, do not want that this story becomes an 'audiophile' discussion. My point is, if we speak about RVG for example,is that BN editions (on cd) are much better done before than on later remasterings (end of 90's and begining of the 2000) and I try to buy all my editions from that,prior period of production. Even than, I was never 'happy' with sound of piano and bass on his recordings. I have also a numerous albums from other recordings,from that time and some are better, some worst,you except thema as they are, but, sometimes I try to imagine what they would sound if they were produced in a ECM way or simmilar, aldo I do not prefer neither the artists neither the sound of that house. You cant deny that there is a huge difference in a quality of sound of instruments between modern an old recordings, no matter that old ones have that feeling of intimacy, rawness and presence that modern perhaps lack. If I may joke,  that might be 'good' for potential audiophile because at one point investing in hi fi gear becomes useless because you just cant extract 'informations' that are not there. I have tried almost all editions including BN Sacd's that were mastered by Analogue Productions only to realise that they are just slightly different, maybe not even better, than original BN editions and 'miles'away form the sound of more modern music on Sacd (if done right) Of course, that is only my opinion, based on my experience